


After Action Reports and Other Battlefields

by ShyMikka



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Light Side Sith Warrior (Star Wars), Planet Makeb (Star Wars), Rise of the Hutt Cartel - Freeform, bullshitting, the sith warrior is smart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29575161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyMikka/pseuds/ShyMikka
Summary: Lord Marr is sure that he can outmaneuver the Emperor's Wrath. After all, how hard can it be to beat what amounts to a sentient lightsaber at politics? As it happens, it's much more challenging than he anticipates.
Relationships: Female Sith Warrior/Vette
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	After Action Reports and Other Battlefields

**Author's Note:**

> This is set just post Makeb, and contains spoilers for Rise of the Hutt Cartel. Also, I know that the Republic tried to evacuate the planet, but it's more fun for the story if they just weren't that good at it.

Darth Marr was not known for his charity. He did not believe in giving the benefit of the doubt. He was therefore at a loss when trying to get clarification from the Lord Wrath. His normal tone had been generously described as “aggressive” by Darth Vowrawn. But the Wrath’s after action report was confusing him, so there was nothing to do but forge ahead.

“Wrath, explain.” He congratulated himself on being more polite than his usual brusqueness.

The zabrak on the holo did not seem to understand that he was, if nothing else, trying.

“I completed the mission?” She frowned at him. “Was that somehow unclear?”

“No, it was clear enough. But there are refugees on Vaiken spacedock, Wrath.”

“Perhaps the Dark Council has a different idea on what constitutes a question, _Marr_ , but in the rest of the Empire, that would be considered a statement.” The Emperor’s Wrath did not have eyebrows, but Marr could sense that if she did, she would be raising them at him.

“Apologies, Lord Wrath. I am trying to understand the decisions that you made on Makeb. They confuse me.”

“Well, Darth Marr, every decision I made was for the betterment of the Empire.”

Marr waited.

After an awkwardly long pause, the Wrath finally spoke.

“Was that all, Darth Marr? I’m rather busy.”

“All we needed from that rock was the isotope-5.” Marr considered his next words carefully. “The Science Bureau has informed me that strictly speaking, it was not necessary to stabilize the planet core to achieve that goal. In addition, evacuating the planet was nowhere on the list of mission parameters.”

“Letting the planet crack was not our objective. I made a decision in the field to save the planet if at all possible.”

“Did you also decide to save your troops? I can see several times where sacrificing men would have accomplished our goals.”

“I do not _waste_ Imperial lives, Darth Marr. Everyone that could be saved on that mission was. I do not and will not regret that decision.” She was not bothering to conceal her expression.

“If you are not willing to sacrifice, we will not succeed.” Marr knew, even as he said it, that such a statement was pointless.

“I would suggest that if we needlessly throw away lives, we are destined to fail.” She visibly took a breath. “I am willing to sacrifice when it is the only way. But the only thing that needed to die on Makeb was the Archon. Honestly, I was willing to let him live until he decided to torture my people to death.” Marr suddenly realized that the Wrath was restraining herself from spitting derisively at the mention of the Archon. He decided to take a different approach.

“What was the need of saving the mercenary, then? Your actions are more Jedi than Sith. She tried to kill you, after all.”

“It sets a bad precedent to kill people who do their job well. I’m sure you’re aware that I only execute traitors.” She pauses and tilts her head to one side, considering. “And incompetents. She was neither.”

Marr remembers the report on her former captain. Quilt? No, Quinn. She had executed the man with her bare hands. Her formal statement had stuck with him.

> _Captain Quinn could have been forgiven had he devised a plan that had any chance of success. Instead, Captain Quinn showed less sense than the common nerf by utilizing droids in his assassination attempt. Such a colossal misreading of his opponent’s capabilities demonstrated a level of incompetence that cannot be tolerated in the Empire._

Perhaps the Jedi comment was a bit much.

“In addition,” she continued, “she is, as you point out, a mercenary. The empire cannot rely solely on the Mandalorians for our mercenary needs, and her unit did better than most against me.”

“Sparing her was entirely pragmatic, then?”

“Yes.” she said in a tone that reminded Marr of Overseers responding to particularly stupid Red Sith. “As I just explained.”

Marr considers it. While he has generally been pleased with the Mandalorians, it is true that they are very recognizable. This group on Makeb has a racial diversity that could be useful in certain operations, and was significantly lower profile. Having someone to bid against Mandalore might even stretch the budget. The Wrath was either incredibly good at banthashitting, or she had thought this through.

She had apprenticed under Baras. It was probably a bit of both.

“Before you ask, directing refugees to Imperial space is also the practical decision.” Marr suddenly realizes that he’s lost control of the conversation. Rather than admit defeat, he decides to play along.

“Explain.”

“I started a rebellion against the Cartel. Makeb was an independent planet. They literally can’t run to Hutt space, and the Republic didn’t have nearly enough transports, _Everyone_ knew that. One of my operatives may have spread a rumor that the Republic was selling seats. So, I provided a fleet of ships to get people off their supposedly doomed planet. They will remember that the Empire did that, and asked for nothing in return.”

“What does this gain the Empire?”

She smiles, and Marr thinks that he hasn’t seen something quite so terrifying since the last war.

“Citizens. I believe immigration falls under Darth Mortis’ sphere. Ask him how many of those refugees have already applied for citizenship. Ask again in a month. In a year, every one of those new citizens will be talking to their extended families, telling them how wonderful the Empire is.”

She pauses for a moment. It’s clearly for effect. Marr has been a Sith for far too long to not notice it. Whatever she says next is the center of it.

“Assuming we treat them well, of course.”

Marr can see it working. A few holocalls, some letters, then suddenly the Empire is seen as the better choice.

“An interesting theory,” he allows, “but it will take time to implement.”

“We have time now. Stabilizing the core has made the the planet uninhabitable. We can strip mine Makeb, all we have to do is tell people that the ships going there are for reclamation. Much sexier than mining a brand new asteroid field. Give it enough time, and the refugees will settle in the Empire. They’ll have Makeb festivals once a year, and pay their taxes on time.”

“This entire proposal is a bit outside the Wrath’s purview, I think.” She’s made him uneasy, but it’s time to remind her that it goes both ways.

“True, Darth Marr, but, as the Emperor is busy being less corporeal than usual, I find I have quite a bit of free time. I’d hate to bother the Dark Council without a plan, which is why I’ve been rather busy writing one.”

Well, poodoo.

“I believe the Council has drastically underestimated you, Lord Wrath.” Marr doesn’t get outplayed often, but he can at least do some damage control. “I expect to see this plan by the end of the week.”

Her face doesn’t betray a thing. It’s like watching a child play a hologame. Every time you think you understand it, you’re wrong.

“I’ll send it to you and to Darth Mortis. Assuming the two of you approve, we can bring Ravage on board.” It's a clever plan. If he and Mortis are on board, Ravage will have little choice but to play along. At least he'll be able to see Ravage try to do some actual diplomacy for once. For fuck's sake, diplomacy was half of Ravage's job, and Marr couldn't remember the last time the Empire had done any.

This woman is famous for killing things. She should not be this good at politics.

“I have just one further question, Lord Wrath. How did you get so many ships to Makeb?”

“Oh, that was simple. I paid a truly outrageous amount of money.”

“I don’t recall assigning the mission a budget.” Marr hates the budget, and if the Wrath has messed it up, well, he’s already given up on the Emperor. Destroying the Wrath won’t get him in any more trouble than his current plans will.

“Oh, I paid it out of pocket.” She smiles again. “Well, actually, I paid it out of a bank account Baras had set aside for bribes. His bribe budget was obscene.”

“I look forward to your plan.” Marr terminates the connection. He’s gone from indifference, to dislike, to admiration, all since her mission report had come in that morning. He thinks that if he were even ten years younger, he would be extremely horny for her. Now he’s just looking forward to seeing her in a room with Darth Imperius. They’ll either get along like a house on fire, or actually set the house on fire.

***

When Marr disappears, Vette lets go of the laughter she’s been holding in since the call started. This has been, hands down, the funniest shit she has seen in a long time. The only downside was Darth Compensation-spikes’ mask. Oh, how she wished she could have seen the many, many different looks his face probably made.

“Oh my stars,” she finally chokes out, “you are the best bee-esser in the _galaxy_.”

“Fuck. I just didn’t want all those people to die. Now I have to make a plan.”

“Eh, have Jaesa help. She’s got a good head for diplomacy and shit. Also, I’m a operative? What in the Corellian hells, love?”

“What, I’m just supposed to tell Darth kriffing Marr that my girlfriend made a bad joke in a cantina and things just happened?”

“I guess it sounds way cooler if I did it like some sort of super agent.” Vette considers for a moment. She gets a twinkle in her eye. “Hey, how do you feel about-”

“I’d consider it.” The smile on her Sith’s face is dirty as fuck. It takes Vette’s breath away. She slides up into the Emperor’s Wrath’s personal space.

“How do you do that?” she whispers.

“The force serves me well.” She kisses Vette, not holding anything back.

“Also, my love, you’re predictable.”


End file.
